by Ever wondered how to become an editor in Australia? IPEd accreditation should be part of your goal.
Reading time: 2 minutes | By Lee Ellwood
For anyone wanting to become an editor in Australia, membership of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) is a must. Even entry-level - or 'Associate' - membership gives you access to professional development, advocacy, networks, local and online events, and editor accreditation.
[Author note: this article was updated 23 February following IPED's announcement that the 2026 accreditation exam has been postponed.]
What is editor accreditation?
IPEd’s Accreditation Scheme is a benchmark for editorial practice in Australia and New Zealand. Achieving editor accreditation certifies that a candidate actually can edit, to a peer-recognised (and high) standard and in line with IPEd’s Australian Standards for Editing Practice (3rd ed).
IPEd is the national professional association for editors of all genres in Australia – well, international, with editors in Aotearoa New Zealand joining as their own branch a few years back.
Part of IPEd’s mission is to ensure that editorial clients in both countries can know what to expect from a professional editor and understand what editing is (and isn’t). Accreditation is a confidence boost for both early career editors and potential clients.
The accreditation exam
The exam is a tightly timed, open-book, 4-hour session, and candidacy is open only to current members of IPEd or other, approved editing organisations around the world.
It’s not an easy exam, and not everyone passes first go. EllWords editors Dr Penny Hayes and Lee Ellwood are 2 of many accredited editors in Melbourne, and they both succeeded on first sit. Colleague Kylie Howard is preparing to sit the exam this year.
‘All the preparation in the months beforehand – joining study groups, practising on past exam papers, and attending IPEd’s prep workshops – really consolidated my knowledge,’ says Lee.
Tough, but worthwhile
Potential accreditation candidates often ask: is the effort and expense of sitting the exam worth it?
‘Absolutely,’ says Lee. ‘Gaining my accreditation just when I’d lost my job and taken the leap into freelancing reassured me that I did know my stuff. Everyone who was good at English at school thinks they know how to edit – I know I did, until I joined IPEd and learned more about the craft of editing!
‘Preparing to sit the exam is, in itself, a fantastic development opportunity. And I’m increasingly finding that IPEd’s editor accreditation is becoming more widely known and recognised by clients.’
Is editor accreditation important to you?
If you’re an early-career editor in Australia and New Zealand and you’re interested in accreditation, here are some resources you should read.
- Find out more about the IPEd Accreditation Scheme
- For editor accreditation exam FAQs, download the What you need to know factsheet from IPEd’s website.
For editorial clients, IPEd accreditation is a marker of expertise that you can trust. Have you noticed whether your inhouse or on-call editor holds accreditation?
Note: There are many talented professional editors in Australia whose careers and editing experience date from before the Accreditation Scheme began, and many of them have opted not to pursue accreditation. You can access a directory of Australian and New Zealander editors on the IPED website to find someone with the right skills, experience and background for your project.
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